What It Takes to Be a Robotics Technician: The Nuts & Bolts

Just what is inside a robot and whatever does it take to be a robotics technician? In a quest to answer this

question for students and parents attending the recent FLATE’s national robotics week open house, FLATE’s Executive Director, Dr. Marilyn Barger, started with the O*Net site for robotics technicians. The official NAISC code is 17-3024.01—Robotics Technician, and the short (but official) definition of this occupation is someone who builds, installs, tests, and/or maintains robotic equipment, or related automated production systems.

The summary report for this occupation (and all others in the O*net) is presented to readers in concise

statements in the following categories: tools and technology; knowledge; skills; abilities; work activities; work context; job zone; education; interests; work styles; work values, and related occupations. There are also links to job openings and job search engines as well as national wage data. Click here to go to the robotics technician page. There is a lot more information that you can download if you look behind the “details” tab. This tab also reveals how important and how frequent the various work activities are.

According to O*net, here is what robotics technicians need to know, what they need to be able to do, and some of their work activities. This is all a pretty technical description of a robotics technician. You can find more visual video descriptions by watching one of the “Made in Florida” videos, on “robotics technicians”. You will also get to see the very cool, high-tech manufacturing workplaces where robotics technicians work.

click to enlarge image

Starting with salary and wages, and employment, you can find out that the average 2012 annual wage for
this occupation is $51,820, and that there are approximately 16,000 people in the U.S working in that occupation. Not surprisingly, the 3,200 openings anticipated in this decade (2010-2020) are primarily in manufacturing and scientific and technical services. There is also a link to a much related occupation of electromechanical technicians and nearly 70% of the 16,000 robotics technicians have an Associate’s degree. Students can find good jobs as robotics technician after completing an Associate’s degree in engineering technology in Florida with one of several specialized tracks: advanced manufacturing; electronics; or digital design, or others at a state or community college near you

For more information visit www.madeinflorida.org, and www.fl-ate.org, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org, and Dr. Marie Boyette, associate director of FLATE at boyete@fl-ate.org.

NOCTI Book

If you are new to CTE administration or considering moving into that arena, you might want to check out this new resource published by ACTE and written by NOCTI. There are lots of hot tips, check lists and and case studies / notes from the field including our experiences here at FLATE working with our industry partners through advisory committees or boards. (You can find FLATE on page 56!). You don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

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Disclaimer

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, under the following grant DUE# 1204751. "Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."